New Era, Same Run-and-Fun for Iowa Women’s Basketball

PHOTO: JEROD RINGWALD/HAWKEYESPORTS.COM The Hawkeye women's basketball team balances fun and hard work at an open summer practice at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

A new head coach. Six new players. The departure of the program’s winningest coach and greatest player. For all that has changed within Iowa women’s basketball since this past spring’s return to the NCAA championship game, the smiles, fun, and up-tempo play have stayed the same.

“Iowa basketball will still remain Iowa basketball: post feeds, running up and down the court, transition buckets, moving the ball,” says assistant coach Tania Davis (19BA). “But I think this group is special in the unique things that not only our freshmen, but also Lucy [Olsen], are going to bring.”

The newcomers include four ESPN top 100-ranked freshmen recruits, Miss Iowa Basketball Callie Levin, and Olsen, the country’s third-leading scorer last season at Villanova.

PHOTO: JEROD RINGWALD/HAWKEYESPORTS.COM A core member of Lisa Bluder's coaching staff at Iowa for 24 years, Jan Jensen became head coach of the Hawkeyes in May 2024 when Bluder retired.

“We haven’t had anyone like her for a while,” says new head coach Jan Jensen of Olsen, the transfer point guard. “She’s more mid-range [shooting], pass-first, and she has a nice bounce about her. Her personality is golden, and I’m fortunate we got her.”

Other leaders for this year’s team include Hannah Stuelke and Sydney Affolter. Recovering from injury this summer, Stuelke has spent the offseason refining her shot and ball handling as she prepares to play more at power forward after filling the void at center much of last season. “I like to attack the basket a lot more than I like to have my back to it,” says Stuelke, one of eight returning players. “Being able to work on all the little parts of my form has been really good for me.”

PHOTO: JEROD RINGWALD/HAWKEYESPORTS.COM Lucy Olsen, a transfer point guard from Villanova, comes to Iowa as the third-leading Division I scorer in the country last year behind Caitlin Clark and USC's JuJu Watkins.

Affolter emerged as a star in March Madness and has continued her ascent this summer. “Syd has been unbelievable,” says Jansen. “She paid a lot of attention to Kate [Martin (22BS, 24MA)], and I’m very thankful for that. … Syd knows that this is kind of her team and she’s welcoming that.”

Three-point threats Taylor McCabe and Kylie Feuerbach will compete for increased roles this season, while post Addison O’Grady will vie with six-foot-four freshman Ava Heiden for minutes at center.

Iowa didn’t appear in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 this spring, which included five Big Ten teams and two more that received consideration. “This year they can lean in with a little chip on their shoulder because everybody’s going to be like ‘Oh, they lost Caitlin [Clark (24BBA)]; they’re never going to be the same,’” says Jensen. “All of that can be true, but it can also be fun. And I think this group, what they’ve shown me, is that it’s fun. I could not ask for any more energy or just a great work ethic to start.”